Ford readies Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid for debut in 2013

3:09 PM, November 14, 2012

Ford Motor Company unveiled the new 2013 Ford Fusion and the 2013 Fusion Energi at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Center in Detroit, Monday, Jan 9, 2012. / ROMAIN BLANQUART/ Detroit Free Press

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The plug-in hybrid version of the Ford Fusion midsize sedan will have a battery-only range of more than 21 miles and top speed of 85 mph. The plug-in hybrid, which Ford calls the Fusion Energi, should go on sale early in 2013.

Ford expects the car to get an EPA rating of better than 100 m.p.g.e. when it’s running on batteries. That would make it one of the most efficient vehicles on the road. Plug-in hybrids have larger batteries than conventional hybrids. They can run on electricity alone for considerably greater distances than basic hybrids, which can usually only cover a mile or two on battery power.

“Plug-in hybrids make more sense for most drivers than pure electric cars, because there’s not much infrastructure for charging” battery-only vehicles, said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst with Edmunds.com.

Ford won’t say what fuel economy it expects when the car operates like a standard gas/electric hybrid, but it will probably be about 4 m.p.g. below the Fusion hybrid’s 47 m.p.g. rating in combined city and highway driving.

Unlike some plug-in hybrids, the Fusion Energi will accelerate quickly to its top speed on battery power alone. A “hybrid now” button on the Fusion Energi lets the driver lock the car into electric drive until the batteries are exhausted. Ford thinks that will be particularly useful for short trips where the driver knows battery power alone is enough.

“The big obstacle to plug-ins and electric vehicles continues to be the significant price premium,” Krebs said. “Low gas prices like we’ve got now mean a lot of consumers don’t feel much incentive to pay for a hybrid.”

Ford will announce the Fusion Energi’s price and EPA fuel economy rating closer to when it goes on sale. The car will be available across the United States, but only Ford dealers with special training will sell it.

Other than a bigger, more expensive battery, the Fusion Energi is very similar to the Fusion hybrid that just went on sale. Ford engineers say that using high-volume vehicles and sharing many components helps control the cost of their hybrids, plug-ins and electric vehicles.

Plug-in hybrids sales are likely to grow rapidly, but only a couple of the vehicles are on sale now. Toyota has a plug-in version of its Prius that can go about 11 miles on battery power. Some people also consider the Chevrolet Volt and Fisker Karma plug-ins, although their mechanical layout and longer electric range probably qualify them as what the EPA calls extended-range electric vehicles.